Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

[Red_Label]

I've been wanting to try a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue for some time now. Probably ever since I owned a Reissue Twin and SuperSonic Twin (both of which I loved... but didn't love the ridiculous weight). So I finally pulled the trigger on a B-stock made-for-Sweetwater model (wine red with wheat grill and a different Jensen speaker) today for $900 on their 24-month, 0% interest deal. I'm looking forward to having those jangly, pristine Fender cleans again. Curious to hear how lush my Strymon Blue Sky and El Cap sound into this amp... as well as how good I can get my Bogner Harlow and Friedman BE-OD pedals to sound for crunch and lead tones through it.

I've already got Celestion Vintage 30, and G12H30 70th Anniversary speakers that I can try in it. I'm curious about the experiences of people running other speakers in it. What kinds of different speakers have you tried in a DRRI? Was the tone cleaner, punchier, darker, brighter, more 3D, etc, etc than the stock Jensen? Just looking at all of my options once she shows up, as I'd like her to stick around as a portable pedal platform. I'm also considering picking up a Creamback 65 or 75 to try... as I've been wanting to try one or a pair of those in my Friedman 2x12 anyways.

I really agonized over picking-up a Friedman Buxom Betty instead... but I just couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money on a pedal platform with no FX loop. If I could have found one for under $2K, I probably would have one of those on the way. But there aren't a lot of reviews on them. Whereas the DRRI has been an industry standard since before I was born (in '68).

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I put a weber greenback in mine when I had a DRRI. I had also tried the texas heat first.
The greenback was great. Clean sounds still sounded fendery, but when cranked up past 5 or 6 it started to "honk" in a pleasing way. Was never too dark but sometimes at that volume slightly tighter bass could be handy but it didn't bother me.
The Texas Heat was fairly smooth in overall texture and had tight bass, but I wanted something with more breakup and "character", and the greenback handled that.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I put a weber greenback in mine when I had a DRRI. I had also tried the texas heat first.
The greenback was great. Clean sounds still sounded fendery, but when cranked up past 5 or 6 it started to "honk" in a pleasing way. Was never too dark but sometimes at that volume slightly tighter bass could be handy but it didn't bother me.
The Texas Heat was fairly smooth in overall texture and had tight bass, but I wanted something with more breakup and "character", and the greenback handled that.

Yeah, I was considering trying a Greenback in the DRRI, but I kept reading about reduced clean headroom, and I was afraid of doing that to a 22 watt amp... as I do like loud, pristine cleans. I prefer to use a drive channel (on switchers obviously) or pedals to get my drive, and let the power tubes crank out loud, punchy tones. Which reminds me... I really need to try a Hiwatt someday.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

i dont have a ri, but i run a cannabis rex in my '66 dr and i love it. loud and balanced with a warm top end

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

Nice! Kind of want to augment my Princeton Reverb with a DR, for when the PR runs out of headroom at higher volumes.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

If I recall, that limited edition one has a good Alnico P12 Jensen speaker, not some Fender Designed junk.

You may want to just enjoy an American speaker in a Fender. At least give it some play time.

Celestions shift it away from the original Fender sound, and you've already got that ground covered.
I'd agree that some of the Eminence speakers like the Cannabis Rex and Swamp Thang sound louder and thicker than Jensen.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

If I recall, that limited edition one has a good Alnico P12 Jensen speaker, not some Fender Designed junk.

You may want to just enjoy an American speaker in a Fender. At least give it some play time.

Celestions shift it away from the original Fender sound, and you've already got that ground covered.
I'd agree that some of the Eminence speakers like the Cannabis Rex and Swamp Thang sound louder and thicker than Jensen.

All very valid points GJ, and for sure I'm one to always give the stock setup a shot before I start tinkering. I just remember being very disappointed in the TRRI when I tried my beloved Plexitone into it, so am suspecting that's how the DRRI will go. But you're right... the alnico Jensen might do a better job with overdriven tones.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

i dont have a ri, but i run a cannabis rex in my '66 dr and i love it. loud and balanced with a warm top end

Good to know. Will put that one on the list of possibilities if I don't care for the alnico Jensen.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

Nice! Kind of want to augment my Princeton Reverb with a DR, for when the PR runs out of headroom at higher volumes.

I looked hard at the special edition PR before pulling the trigger on the DRRI. In the end it came down to a preference for 12" speakers and especially the fact that I've always wanted a DR. I looked at a bunch of other pedal platforms as well (like the Roland Blues Cube Stage/Artist, 65 Amps Whiskey, Friedman Buxom Betty, and others). But that desire to finally satisfy my curiosity about the DRRI and check that off the list won out. Seems like it will be an awesome country and jazz amp from the clips I'm hearing. I suppose that the PR might do the jazz thing even more efficiently.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I used to have a Reverend All-Tone 1250 in a '65 DRRI. I think the stock speaker might have been an Eminence of some kind. The Reverend driver was more solid, warm, and three-dimensional. I still have it, installed in the bombed-out shell of an old Peavey Bandit.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I used to have a Reverend All-Tone 1250 in a '65 DRRI. I think the stock speaker might have been an Eminence of some kind. The Reverend driver was more solid, warm, and three-dimensional. I still have it, installed in the bombed-out shell of an old Peavey Bandit.

Thanks, and noted for possible trying.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I had an alnico Jensen, I forget the model, in my DRRI and replaced it with a WGS ET 65. I couldn't be happier.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

Like Jeremy said, I'll bet Cannabis Rex would just slay or even one C-Rex and one Screaming Eagle ( don't be fooled by the name).

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[MakerDP]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I had an alnico Jensen, I forget the model, in my DRRI and replaced it with a WGS ET 65. I couldn't be happier.

This is the correct answer right here.

The WGS ET65 is an AMAZING speaker. Don't be fooled by the fact that it is extremely affordable as well.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

Like Jeremy said, I'll bet Cannabis Rex would just slay or even one C-Rex and one Screaming Eagle ( don't be fooled by the name).

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

The DRRI is just a 1x12 combo. But I'll bet that pair would sound great in a Twin though.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

This is the correct answer right here.

The WGS ET65 is an AMAZING speaker. Don't be fooled by the fact that it is extremely affordable as well.

Good to know. I definitely like AFFORDABLE!!! :laugh:

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

My DRRI Ltd Edition came yesterday and I spent several hours with it last night. Yummay! Had that classic Blackface Fender tones that I loved in my Twins, but with a little hair and a little more compression. Absolutely LOVED the clean tones, the reverb, and the vibrato. I also LOVED the fact that I can carry it without breaking my back. I did a big A/B test with all of my current OD pedals. The Friedman BE-OD edged-out the Carl Martin Plexitone for my favorite. I dug the Bogner Harlow, but prefer it for more of a compressed, punchy, spanky lead thing. Also tried a couple others, but those three were my favorites. What a great amp. I'm stoked about having Fender cleans in the house again. I also ordered a Super Champ X2 FSR yesterday, to use as a daily practice amp. It's got the same cosmetics as the DRRI and will hopefully have a similar vibe to it. Good stuff!

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

When I had my 1965 DR, it had a Gold Label Jensen, and it was very good. A JBL D-120 totally changed the character with more midrange focus, almost too much. But it was an EV Force speaker that worked the best. All the highs and lows and mids, very natural sounding. Where the Jensen felt fragile, the EV could handle the DR wide-open with no fear. Maxed out, live, on a stage, my clear choice was the EV.

But there was serious weight gain with the JBL and the EV. In the end, the EV went into another cab. The JBL was sold for a profit, and I stayed with the Jensen. At home or studio levels though, the Jensen was great.

Hated to sell that amp, but the Mesa amps were (and still are) my "Baby Bear" amps, so all the vintage amps went away.

Bill

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

I like Randall Smith of Mesa's old stories of how he'd order Fender Princeton and Deluxe transformers to make early Mesa Boogies, to have Fender cut him off because they learned what he was up to.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Fender DRRI incoming... curious about speakers...

Basically, a Boogie is a Princeton Reverb cab with a 12" Altec speaker shoehorned into it. Then modding the amp with a 2x6L6 power section, using a Bassman transformer. And then the cascading preamp. Pretty soon he was using even bigger transformers for a 4x6L6 power amp.

Keep in mind, big amps were king back then. Vox Beatles, Marshalls, Dual Showmans, Acoustic 156 and 270s, Kustom tuck-and-rolls, Plush, SUNNs, Peavey Mace and Musician, Ampeg V-4s--all big powerful amps. Big combos too: Twin, Quad and Super Six Reverbs; VT-22s; or even PAIRS of Super Reverbs! Unthinkable today....

So walking in with this tiny amp....a PRACTICE amp, for God's sake! Mind blowing! And they could blow down walls, too! Totally stealthy.

Another story Randy tells is when he applied for the patent on the cascading preamp circuit, they didn't want to issue it...because it would DISTORT! LOL!

Bill